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Technically, no. The loose, colloquial use of the term "gopher" might include any ground squirrel, and prairie dogs are indeed ground-living members of the family Sciuridae, but they are usually not considered gophers.
True gophers are of the family Geomyidae, and not in the squirrel family at all. They are, of course, in the same order, Rodentia.
Other ground squirrels often called gophers are of the genus Spermophilius, including the striped gopher or thirteen-lined ground squirrel (S. tridecemlineatus), the flickertail or Richardson's ground squirrel (S. richardsonii), and others.
Prairie dogs are of the tribe Marmotini, genus Cynomys, and there are about five species.
So, to diagram the relationship:
- Order Rodentia
- - Superfamily Geomyoidae
- -- Family Geomyidae (true gophers)
- - Family Sciuridae
- -- Tribe Marmotini
- --- Genus Spermophilius (ground squirrels, many of which are called "gophers")
- --- Genus Cynomys (prairie dogs)
(I hope that's clear!)
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynomys
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geomyidae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spermophilus
The term gopher as it is commonly used does not relate to any one species, but is a generic term used to describe any of several small burrowing rodents endemic to North America, including the pocket gopher (family Geomyidae), also called true gophers, and the ground squirrel (family Sciuridae), including Richardson's ground squirrel and species of prairie dog.
What else can I help you with?
What small animals are known for digging holes?
Small animals known for digging holes include moles, gophers, groundhogs, and prairie dogs.
What climate does prairie dog live in?
Prairie dogs only live in one biome, and that is the Grassland. Prairie is Grassland, so the common/slang name of these gophers should be a dead give-away.
The animal community of this biome includes gophers jack rabbits prairie dogs and antelopes the summer growing season does not produce forests this biome is the?
Grasslands
Do prairie dogs eat cows?
No. Prairie dogs are ground squirrels (some people call them gophers), which eat mainly insects and vegetation. They are much too small to eat cows, nor do the like eating carrion (meat off of dead animals).
Are dogs and gophers alike?
Dogs and gophers are somewhat alike in that both are mammals, but the similarities essentially end there. Dogs are canines while gophers are rodents. Dogs are often domesticated, living above ground with humans, while gophers are not often domesticated and burrow below ground where they spend almost all of their time. In the wild, dogs often live in packs while gophers tend to be solitary.
What is the difference between a gopher and chipmunk?
"Gopher" is an umbrella term that applies to various kinds of burrowing rodents, due to their similarities and scientific classification. They include pocket gophers, ground squirrels, chipmunks and a variety of prairie dogs. All are commonly referred to as gophers. Chipmunks have distinctive black and white stripes that run down the back of their brown bodies. Pocket gophers are brown with no stripes. Ground squirrels are light beige in color. Prairie dogs are much bigger than any of these rodents and come in many varieties.
3 populations commonly found in a prairie ecosystem?
Mice, gophers and owls
Are prairie dogs scavengers?
No -- prairie dogs are herbivores.
What is the landscape of the plains?
The wildlife that live in the interior plains include gophers, prairie dogs, snakes, mice, mule deer, pronghorn antelopes, brown bears, wolves, elks, moose and caribou.
Should prairie dogs be capitalized?
No, prairie dogs is not capitalized.
How prairie dogs eats?
prairie dogs eats with their hands
Do prairie dogs live on the prairie?
Well, of course they do, or else they wouldn't be called Prairie Dogs!
